Cairns Central Non-Parking
Well, Dear Blarg Readers, changes are afoot at Cairns Central. No I am not talking the good kind. It would appear that someone in Central's management team thinks it would be a great idea to introduce a ticketed parking system. You know, boom gates, ques, the whole shebang! What a fantastic idea, because I don't know about you, but I just love queuing up at those ticking machine, only to have the person infront of me maneuver their tank car so that they don't have to get out of it to get the ticket.
What has bought this on? Well I can only assume that it is people (like me) that park my car there when we are at work. Before you shout "Sinner!" give me a viable alternative. Parking metres in the city are there to "encourage" staff of businesses to use alternative parking, now that central is getting the "lockdown" procedure, what alternative do we have? Public transport - Please, pull the other one it has bells on it. I have tried taking the bus, really I have! I miss good public transport from my time in London. But when the bus timetable says it will be at your stop at 7:03am, and you regularly see it leaving at 6:50am (in order to get some time under its belt to compensate for all the hail-and-ride bullshit), taking the bus just does not become an option. Now if only there were some disused rail tracks snaking their way though the city....
I would threaten to break out the pushbike, I used to ride the 12km into work most days, but there is only a cold shower at my current workplace, and that is not a fun way to start anything, especially a work day.
What has changed that this has to be done now anyway? Central has been open for more than a decade (1998 if I remember correctly?) and has had free parking all this time. The only time that the carpark is ever *full* is at Christmas. Bar Humbug I say! Perhaps it is being done now because the boyany ecconomic times and the matterilistic hoards have stressed the current parking to capacity? Umm, no... Sounds like a money grab if you ask me.
To do this of course, all the entrances will need to be modified, in some cases greatly I am told. Major roadworks at the northern end of the carpark including some kind of round-about under the ramp (I can see this ending well).
As a frustrated shopper (who also happens to work fulltime) I am happy to have a system like the one at The Pier. How many need more than 3 hours to shop? And I want to park downstairs undercover before 9am - drop teenagers at school, get the shopping done and be back behind the desk by 10am...and if I get free parking over 2/3 hours by presenting a minimum $3 spend (coffee)all is well. Then if you want to park there all day, at least do the tenants the courtesy of spending some money in the centre they are paying huge rents to provide them with shoppers.
ReplyDeleteAnd, seeing I'm on my soap box, you don't have to catch public transport or ride to work. Park a few blocks from work and WALK to your place of work. While I agree Council should provide more free off-street parking (like it used to down behind the Convention Centre), it is not Central's tenants' responsibility to provide you with free undercover parking.
I'm onyour side Fosnez and think the redoubtable Essence is full of shit for a change!!
ReplyDeleteThose of us on the fringe of town are aware of the impact of council parking policy. There is no available parking as patrons flee town for their best economic outcome withno tiome zone onnthe fringe! Which ... funnily enough ..... conflicts with city parking! What a joke again!
Anywhere near the hospital is now scheduled to become a disaster with nothing from those 'esteemed' reps??